Switch for butchers  tracks



2 Sheets-Sheet '1 (No Model.)

0. Com. Switch for Butchers Tracks.

No. 242.754. Patented June 14, l88l.

N, PETERS, Phnta-Lilhcgmpher. Wmhingiun, D. C.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

. G COLE l Switch for Butchers Tracks. No. 242,754. Pg t ented Ju'ne 14,-l88l.

UNITED STATES PATE yT' OFFIC CHARLES COLE, OF WEST NElVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SWITCH FOR BUTCHERS TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,754, dated June 14, 1881.

Application filed March 16, 1881. (No model.) V

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, CHARLES Cons, of West Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches for Butchers Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an overhead track on which run trucks provided with hangers. upon which heavy articles can be suspended beneath the track and readily moved from place to place; and its objectsare to provide a convenient way to connect the main track with the branches which extend to difi'erent parts of the room or inclosure, and to provide a oonvenient method of shifting such connecting main track from connection with one branch to connection with another. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is 'a plan view of my device, taken on the leveLof the bottom of the timbers upon which it is attached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device in operative position. Fig. 3 is an end view of the main track, with the truck that travels upon it in position. Fig. 4 is a section on line a c of Fig; 1, showinghow the hanger is retained in the arc in which it moves.

v A is the main track. a a are the branches. 0. is the last rail of the main track.

B B are the hangers, which support the track at a short distance from the ceiling.

O O are arc-plates attached to the ceiling or overhead beams D D. In the channels in these plates the upper ends ofthe hangers slide, being retained therein by the flanges b b on the upper end of the hangers, under which the lips c c extend.

H is one of the trucks commonly used on this kind of track. It consists of a wheel grooved to fit the track, provided with an arm n-shaped at its upper extremity to afford support to the axis upon both sides of the wheel, which is placed in such curved part. To the lower end of the arm is attached a hook, upon or to which the article to be transported is attached, being elevated above the floor, when by pushing against such article the truck will be moved in thetdireetion desired. As both the truck and single-rail track are old and well known, no extended description of them is necessary. Heretof'ore, however, the track has been sustained in its position near the ceilingby hangers like the left-hand one in Figs. 1 and 2 and the one in Fig. 3, which were rigidlyattached to the overhead timbers, and it was shifted into connection with the branch tracks by shifting the end of the last rail of the main track, which was not fastened to theing its end nearest the branch track out of the recess in the hanger sustaining the end of such branch track, and removing it to the track desired, and placing it in the recess in the hanger supporting the end of that track. The track being overhead and beyond the reach of a person standing on the floor rendered it a work of some difliculty, and, as it was generally undertaken by the use of pike-poles, was somewhat hazardous, on accountof theliability of the loose end of the rail to fall. If, however, to avoid such hazard, a ladder or other means of reaching the rail with the'hands was undertaken, it was at the loss of considerable time, which occurred at such period, generally,

as was least desirable, because such changes. have to be made at the time when the largest number of persons are employed, and must be delayed until the change is effected. It also sometimes happened that the rail became detached at its other end when lifted by the pikepoles, and fell upon the floor or the persons beneath. It is for the purpose of obviating such delays and dangers that I-have provided the mechanism herein described.-

The rail a being attached to the last preceding one of the main track with a hinged joint at e, is sustained by the sliding hangers at its middle and near its end. These hangers, as before stated, slide in the arc-plates O, and the end of the main line can be thus brought adjacent and opposite to any one of the branch tracks without liftingthe connecting-rail. The

of a rod, I, is connected to the top of the han gers.

fis a notched are, to indicate to the operator when the movement of the lever has brought the track into connection with eachbranch, and to hold the lever in such position when left, in the same manner as a similar device used upon railroads, which is well known.

Any other system of levers can be used, if desired, to slide the track and hangers to bring the main line into connection with either branch; or the sliding hangers can be moved by a bar extending to the operator direct, and removed sufficiently when not in use to beout of the way of the passing of the trucks along the rail.

It is also obvious that the arc-plates, instead of being channeled and the hangers flanged,

may be made and operated upon the same principles by having the arc-plate flanged and the hanger enclasping such flanged plate.

What I claim as new and of my invention 1s 1. In a single suspended track railway, the combination of the rail a pivoted at point e at one end and supported by a sliding hanger and arc-piece at its other end, with the rails to a, all substantially radial to the point e, and all having their ends an equal distance from that point, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the rail a sliding hanger B, and arc-plate O, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the rail a hanger B, and arc O, the oscillating shaft F, provided with the arms G, lever E, and the connectingrod I, substantially as described.

I CHARLES COLE. Witnesses LEPINE 0. RICE, GEORGE A. WILBER. 

